Revised and standardized systematics of Endothyranopsidae (Foraminifera): Toward improved harmonisation of Mississippian biozonal schemes

The revised family Endothyranopsidae is composed of nine genera, four subgenera and more than one hundred valid species. The genus Granuliferella is considered as a subgenus Granuliferella ( Granuliferella ) nom. transl. herein, and a new subgenus is defined Granuliferella ( Nodogranuliferella ) n. subgen. The subgenus Reitlingeropsis contains sufficient differences in wall structures to be considered as an independent genus. In addition, two new genera are described, Spirallopsis n. gen. and Vachardopsis n. gen. Some species are emended, to modify or improve the original limited descriptions, such as Endothyranopsis ( Endothyranopsis ) mosquensis emend. herein, Latiendothyranopsis solida emend. herein and Reitlingeropsis intermedia emend. herein. Finally, fourteen new species are described: Endothyranopsis ( Endothyranopsis ) prima n. sp., Endothyranopsis ( Endothyranopsis ) septacrassa n. sp., Endothyranopsis ( Eosinopsis ) media n. sp., Latiendothyranopsis paramenneri n. sp., Plectogyranopsis cumbriensis n. sp., Rectocribranopsis cantabrica n. sp., Reitlingeropsis evoluta n. sp., Reitlingeropsis lata n. sp., Reitlingeropsis magna n. sp., Reitlingeropsis multicamerata n. sp., Spirallopsis delicata n. sp., Vachardopsis directa n. sp., Vachardopsis distorta n. sp., and Vachardopsis ? inflata n. sp. Taxa occurrences in Britain suggest that there are 26 species useful for biostratigraphic purposes. These are valid for the recognition of the late Tournaisian and most foraminiferal zones established for the Visean, as well as, in some cases, the Serpukhovian. Apart from endemic taxa, their distribution in the Western Palaeotethys is rather similar and uniform, except for representatives of the genera Endothyranopsis and Reitlingeropsis , which show slightly differing stratigraphic ranges between eastern and western Europe.